Chinese herbal medicine has been in use for many centuries and is frequently used in conjunction with acupuncture or independently. Practitioners of Chinese medicine view the notion of “balance” as the basis of their professional practice and they define the concept of health as the balance of yin and yang and the smooth flow of Qi (life force) throughout the body. An imbalance results in the malfunction of the body and ofttimes illness, the imbalance being caused by mental and emotional stress, improper diet, environmental factors, genetic predispositions, etc.
The practitioner begins study of an individual by means of as evaluation using diagnostic tools such as observation, listening and smelling, questioning and palpation. The information acquired is then used to formulate a pattern of health which ofttimes includes herbal therapies. Studies have shown that the use of these herbs tend to promote healing as opposed to Western medications which focus upon the masking of symptoms. Accordingly, numerous studies have been undertaken with the goal of obtaining novel herbal therapies which are suitable for treating skin disorders.